The latest home security news from HAWK Security Services

When a fire starts within your home, you have less than two minutes to find a safe escape route. Smoke can fill a house within several minutes and in less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a large fire. It is important to conduct fire drills with your family and to have a plan that takes several different scenarios into account. To keep your family and your home safe, plan and be prepared for anything that may happen.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially inside all bedrooms and outside any other sleeping areas.

Test your smoke alarms every month. If they are not working properly, change the batteries. A working smoke alarm reduces the chance of a fatal accident by 50%. Smoke alarms normally expire after 10 years, so if it is outdated it is important to replace it.

Do not ever leave food cooking when it is unattended. Always wearing short and tight-fitting sleeves while cooking and keep towels and pot holders away from any open flames.

Discuss with all your family members what your fire escape plan is and practice executing the plan twice a year. Each room should have two options of escape because predicting an emergency is impossible. It is also recommended to designate one person to help any small children or infants escape the home.

When practicing your escape plan, make sure you practice feeling the door, doorknob, and cracks around the door to check for heat. This would indicate that a fire is directly on the opposite side of the door and that an exit out of the door is not safe or possible.

Teach your children to “get low and go”. Smoke is toxic to our bodies, but it also rises. Staying low helps us keep clear of the smoke. It is important children understand this to exit the house safely.

Choose a designated place to meet outside that is a safe distance away from your home. This way you will know that all your family made it out.

If a fire does occur in your home, get out and stay out. Once you are safely outside, call for help. Do not go back inside for anything or anyone.

If you live in an apartment building or condo, make sure that you pull the fire alarm if the buildings’ sensors have not already gone off. Be familiar with your buildings exits and do not attempt to use an elevator when there is a fire.

If you are stuck inside a home that is on fire, attempt to block any smoke that is entering the room. Then attempt to use a light or a light-colored cloth to signal to other people outside that you are still inside.

To prevent house fires, make sure you keep space heaters or anything flammable at least three feet away from any materials that could burn. Also, don’t plug in several appliances into the same electrical socket.

When you are faced with a fire in your home, the most important thing is to keep calm and think rationally. If you have a plan that you have shared with your family, then everyone already knows how to handle the situation. As soon as you hear your fire or smoke alarm sound, evacuate the house immediately. It is essential to be prepared before a disaster takes place and execute your plan immediately.

Take advantage of your home security this Valentine’s Day and use it to set the perfect mood for you and your valentine. Hawk Security’s home automation security system allows you to use your home automation in many ways to make the night of Valentine’s very special. So before setting up a rose petal walkway check out these other things to help set the mood. There are some great ideas.

Your Date Arrives

You can have everything set up perfectly for the moment when your Valentine will arrive. The feed from your external security cameras will let you know your date has arrived. Use home automation to unlock the door so they won’t have to wait for you to answer if its cold outside and you can continue to get things ready for a romantic evening.

Mood Lighting

Use your phone to dim the lights and set a more romantic mood.

Mood Music

Set up any music you want to play in any room of the house for as long as you’d like. We are long past the days when you need to get another CD once the first tape is over. Wireless speakers can stream music from your phone all night long without interruption.

Electric Candles

Use electric candles throughout your home for a perfectly romantic space without fear of burning your house down. Illuminate these votives at the touch of a button with no need to worry if they’re left lit all night.

A Romantic Dinner

Why waste time on cooking dinner. If you use a crock pot or your smart stove, you’ll be able to cook from anywhere in your home without having to be away from your Valentine for a second.

Use your home automation system to set the perfect mood for your special loved one. There are many ways to take advantage of your home automation. From the lights to the music, you’ll be prepared for a very special evening.

While having a home security system in place is a great way to ease your mind, making sure it is working properly is just as important. This will maximize the safety of your home and your family in case of an emergency.

Test signal communication to the Hawk Monitoring Station:

Call 855-334-6564 and ask to have your alarm put into “Test Mode”. This is necessary to avoid the deployment of emergency services.

Set your alarm as you would normally. Also, wait until the delay time has expired and your alarm is fully set.

Open a door or window that is set with your alarm system. Once the siren begins to ring, wait at least 45 seconds to disarm the system.

Call 855-334-6564 back to ensure that the signal was received and to have your system taken out of “Test Mode”.

Test the operation of all door, window sensors, and motion detectors:

Verify that your system is in “Ready” mode and not armed. The system must be disarmed to avoid the deployment of emergency services.

Open each door and window, doing so one at a time.

Check that the keypad displays the door or window that you are testing.

Close the door or window. The keypad should change back to “Ready” mode.

Repeat this process for each of your motion detectors.

Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors:

When testing either detector, it should make a noise after pressing the test button.

If a noise isn’t made when the test button is pressed, start by changing the batteries in the device.

If this doesn’t work, make sure to contact your home security system provider.

Home security companies recommend testing be done on a regular basis, as much as weekly to monthly.

Your wireless security system from Hawk Security is very reliable, but it is important to do routine checks to make sure that it is working properly. Feel confident with your home security system by ensuring it is always working the way it is supposed to. Make sure to stay in contact with your home security provider when testing your security system.

A home security system is designed to keep you and your family safe, but what happens if it malfunctions?

The most common causes for home security false alarms are:

Human Error

Installation Problems

Equipment Failure or Malfunction

It is important to feel safe within your home and having doubts about the quality of your equipment is not reassuring. Although it is reassuring that the local police will arrive once your home alarm is sounded, it is important to ensure their time is spent on real emergencies. To avoid problems with your alarm system and security alarms, use these tips to reduce the chance of setting off a false alarm.

Remember Your Password

When your alarm is sounded, you will receive a call from your alarm company requesting a verification password. This is to verify you are the homeowner and not in an emergency. This sounds easy, but you’d be surprised to hear how many people forget their password. Choose a password that will be easy to remember, but not easy for a stranger to guess.

Ensure Accurate Contact Information

If you accidentally set off your alarm, it’s important to answer the call from your home security company. If they don’t have accurate contact information, it will be difficult for them to contact you. If your phone number changes, update your home security service immediately.

Inform Your Guests

If you have guests coming to your home when you’re not there, make sure you inform them of your alarm system. Warn them the alarm is currently on and that they will need to turn it off once they enter your home.

Share Your Password With Trusted Friends

Ideally, you should keep your password as secret as possible, but it is important for a few trusted friends to know the password for your alarm system.

Give An Alarm Lesson To Your Family

Everyone who lives in your household should know how to work your alarm system. This includes arming the system, shutting it off, and communicating with your alarm company. If everyone in your home knows how to work your alarm system, then you will certainly have a lower chance of a false alarm.

Place Motion Detectors Strategically

It is important to place motion detectors in areas where pets will not go but a human would be able to. Many cats will jump around your home and you do not want your alarm set off by them. Make sure to test the placement of them before cementing their location and that they stay clean and free of dust.

Change Your Batteries

Usually, your home security system control panel will let you know if its batteries are running low. Make sure that you change them immediately after you’re notified and keep your system up to date with fully charged batteries.

Be Cautious When Using Your Alarm System

We’re all busy, often multitasking, but it is important to be careful when using the alarm system. A simple slip of the finger when entering the alarm code could potentially lead to a false alarm. Be aware and concentrate when arming and disarming your alarm system. Let your children know the alarm system is not a toy and should be treated with careful intent.

Keep Up To Date Equipment

Many people decided to install a home security system years ago. It is important to update your equipment and to perform routine maintenance to ensure your system is working properly and efficiently.

Know How To Cancel Your Alarm

Make sure you know how to disable your alarm before a false alarm occurs. The blaring alarm can sometimes be very distracting, so it is important to know exactly what to do to cancel your alarm.

Beware Of Decorations

It’s common for balloons to set off security alarms. If you plan to have balloons, turn off your motion detector alarms.

Remember That Your Alarm Is Set

Make it a habit to set your alarm when leaving your home, so that you don’t forget it is set. If it is always set, it will be a routine to immediately turn it off when arriving home. It’s important to remember especially when you’re in a rush. Overall, just be careful and cautious and it will help prevent many false alarms.

Your home security alarm helps you feel safe in your home, so it is important that you are careful with it. These are easy ways to prevent false alarms in your home.

January is the time when New Year’s resolutions are either followed or broken. One of the most popular resolutions is to finally get in shape and, more than ever, people are taking to running to shed pounds and stay fit. With devices like the Fitbit and various runner apps for your phone, it’s easier than ever to start running. But running can also be dangerous and it’s important to keep yourself safe while being active. Follow these tips to stay safe while running and make the most of your New Year’s resolution.

Never run alone. It doesn’t matter if it’s another person or a beloved pet, running is always safer when you have someone to watch your back. If you can’t find anyone to run with then run where there are crowds. Lots of people usually means it’s a safe place to be.

Always tell someone where you’re going. That way if something were to happen to you and your running partner, people would know where and when to look for you.

Don’t wear headphones or earbuds. Runners need to be aware of their surroundings. Every year, runners are injured by car’s that they never heard coming. If you must run with music, only use one earbud so you can still hear with the other ear.

Run in the opposite direction of traffic. That way you can see every car and they can see you.

If you see a suspicious person, cross the street and go the other way. Consider taking a self defense class. You should always try to take flight before there is ever an altercation, but you also want to be ready in case of a fight. Suspicious humans aren’t the only danger either. Sometimes a stray dog or, depending on where you live, a cougar can pose a serious threat. Humans are not built to outrun animals. Many runners jog with pepper spray in their hands for just an emergency.

Carry a personal safety device. There are many such devices in today’s technological world. These devices sound an alarm if anything happens to you and can even send your coordinates to the person of your choice.

Wear proper attire. Tight clothing can cause chaffing while loose clothing could cause you to trip. Secure your hair in a bun or cap as long hair can obstruct your vision.

Stay hydrated. Carry a bottle of water or your favorite sports drink. If you don’t want to run with any weight, then carry cash so you can stop at a convenience store and pick something up. Even with water, know the signs of dehydration so you can always take proper action.

Wear sunscreen and protective clothing. It’s going to be hard to keep running with a bad sunburn.

Check the weather. You might feel invincible when running but humidity can lead to rashes, heat can lead to dehydration, and running in a storm can lead to pneumonia or even getting hit by lightning. If the weather isn’t cooperating and you simply must run, try a treadmill or even just run in place.

It’s always safer to run during the day but if you do go out at night make sure to wear a headlamp and reflective vest. The brighter you are the better.

Always go with your phone. You or your running partner could get hurt, you could get lost, or you might just be too tired to run back home. Having your phone means you always have a way of calling for help.

Road IDs are bracelets and shoe tags that can be engraved with phone numbers and medical information. Recommended for runners with medical afflictions that could leave them vulnerable.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Assume every driver hasn’t seen you and double check both ways before crossing.

There is nothing more important than your health. Don’t counteract the benefits of running by running recklessly and getting yourself hurt. Take the necessary precautions, avoid risks, and, most importantly, have fun.

It’s hard to decipher if you’re being stalked. You may feel paranoid or try to pretend you have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, sometimes, this is not the case. If you have a bad feeling about someone following you, you should check it out. A home security system and security cameras can help to keep you safe so take advantage of your technology. If you do believe you are being stalked, there are things you can do.

Keep A Diary Of Evidence

Start with your home security service. Check external security cameras to see if anyone could be watching your home. Keep a record. Include dates, times, locations, descriptions of people and cars, anything that can help identify your stalker. Any evidence you find should be documented thoroughly.

Contact The Police

The police should be notified. Make a formal report. Share any evidence you have. Make copies of any information and keep track of the officer’s name and number.

Always Carry Your Phone

You’re much safer with a cell phone. In case something happens, you can quickly contact the police.

Don’t Confront Your Stalker

Even if you know who they are and are sure they’re following you, do not confront them on your own. Move to a busy and crowded area if you notice them following you. Don’t make any conversation. Conversing with them could make them violent or angry.

Inform Friends And Neighbors

If they notice something suspicious going on, they can help as well. Tell everyone in your daily life so they can keep an extra eye out.

Keep Information Private

Change all social media accounts to private or stop using them altogether. Stalkers can easily find you from social media sites. If you think your phone or computer have been compromised, get new ones. You’re better safe than sorry.

Change Your Routines

If you’re a person of habit, change those habits. Take a different route to work or go to a different coffee shop. The less predictable you are, the better.

Don’t Go Out Alone

Stay around others as much as possible. Don’t go out alone. The more people around, the safer you’ll be. Be aware of your surroundings and take extra precaution when you’re alone.

If you feel as though someone is following you, trust your instincts. Don’t ignore any weird signs or behaviors. Seek help as soon as you feel uncomfortable. Make sure to track all evidence to help the police and protect yourself.

Everyone gets excited for the holiday season. Nowadays, with so many advances in technology, you can use home automation to help spread holiday cheer.

Audio

Holiday music can be played throughout every room of your home on a wireless speaker system. You can even play music outside. With the cheeriest holiday hits playing no matter where people are celebrating, your party will be brimming with yuletide joy.

Movie Watching

You can watch your favorite holiday films on the big screen without leaving your home. With a smartphone and digital projector, any home can be a home theatre. You could project a cozy fireplace on your wall, as well, adding some winter ambiance to any location.

Lights

Use motion detectors to turn on your holiday lights. Perfect for saving electricity. You can also control your lights with your cell phone. Set them on a timer to turn on before you get home and turn off as you’re going to sleep.

Security

If you’re concerned with keeping your family and their presents safe this season, a security system is the tool you need most. You can use live video feeds to check on your home at any time. You can also check on packages when they arrive.

Guests

With digital locks, there’s no need to make extra keys for guests because they can come and go as they please with a special code. This code even lets you monitor when they leave and arrive. If you’re the one traveling, you can give your house sitter or dog walker access with the press of a button.

Planning Ahead

With your home automation system, you can preset lighting and music for any holiday occasion. There’s no need to rush around and set up because you’ll already be prepared.

Spend More Time With Family

With smart timers and smart appliances, you’ll spend less time in the kitchen. Smart ovens allow you to keep an eye on your food and receive alerts when food is finished. You can even turn the oven off. You’ll have much more time to spend with your family.

This holiday season let your home automation system work for you and make your holidays a little brighter.

There are many benefits to using a professional security monitoring service. Hawk Security, one of the leading providers for home security systems, provides a home security and alarm monitoring service in Texas that gives you a whole range of benefits.

24/7 Protection

A monitored home security system from Hawk will protect you 24/7. You won’t have to worry about constantly monitoring your home because if any disaster is detected Hawk will immediately contact you and any emergency personnel that may be needed. This means you are protected when you are at work, running errands, or on vacation. In some instances, you will not be able to be home by the time a disaster has taken place, but a professional monitoring system will allow the proper help to arrive as fast as it is needed.

Receive Help Quickly

With a professional monitoring system, you will receive help faster than you could act on your own. By the time you are alerted of an emergency, help will be contacted and on their way. This could potentially save your home and valuables in a fire or flood and it could possibly save your life in a medical emergency.

Watching Over You

In case of an intruder alert, home fire, or carbon monoxide warning, 24/7 professional security monitoring makes sure your home and family are absolutely safe. Not only will you be alerted of the danger, but if someone sleeps through the alarm or is unable to get out by themselves then professional security monitoring will make sure emergency personnel is there to get people to safety. With professional security monitoring, you’ll know that someone is there to help you even if you are unable to ask for help.

It is very important to have a home security system, but it is recommended to have a professionally monitored system. Hawk Security will monitor your home 24/7 to save you precious time in contacting emergency authorities and always keep you aware of what’s happening inside your home.

Wifi is an essential tool for our everyday lives. We’re living in a society where information is needed quickly. If you’re having problems with slow speeds and bad reception, it’s time to try and increase the speed of your in home wifi connection. Here are some tips to improve your connection:

New Hardware
Install the newest up to date hardware. Routers have changed over the years, so outdated equipment may not be able to support your wifi connection given all of the devices you may have added to the network over time.

Perfect Spot
If you want to have the best signal in your home, make sure it is in an open area without any obstructions from walls or other devices. The optimal space is a table or flat surface that does not have anything around it to block the signal.

The Right Wireless Channel
If you have neighbors that are close to your router, they may be interfering with your wireless connection and causing the signal to diminish. The best plan is to use a channel that has as little interference as possible. Use applications like Network Analyzer Lite or Wifi Analyzer to find the perfect channel for your home.

Avoid Interference
Other routers can interfere with your signal, but so can other appliances. Cordless phones, microwaves, and televisions can block signals as well.

Wifi Security
Make sure your network is secured with a good username and password. This will prevent your neighbors or other people using your wifi system, which will weaken the signal as well. It is recommended to hide the SSID, which is the name of your wifi, so that random people cannot see it as an option to connect to. You can still use the SSID, you just have to type it in manually in order to connect. This will prevent anyone from seeing your wifi.

Control Bandwidth-Hogging Applications
If someone in your home is streaming videos or games, there is a chance that they are hogging the bandwidth of your wifi signal and making it slower for everyone else. To prevent this, use Quality of Service to reign in those bandwidth hogs. You can prioritize different applications to make sure they are always working at their full potential.

Purchase A Wifi Extender
This technology will help if the signal of your router cannot reach throughout your entire home. The extender will allow you to connect to the internet from a different router that is streaming the signal further throughout your home. This helps if there are brick walls that may prevent the signal from traveling fully and freely throughout your home.

Reboot
There is a setting on your router that will reboot the system on a regular basis. When you are done rebooting your router, it should work much better than it previously was. It is recommended to restart your router on a weekly basis so it can go through its regular updates.

Switch To 5GHz
5GHz is faster than 2.4GHz. 5GHz is a less congested signal than 2.4GHz, which makes it ideal for those living in condominiums or apartments.

Router Antenna

Consider replacing your router antenna to extend your signal. Most antennas can be screwed on and off, which makes it easy to change to a bigger and more powerful antenna. Point the antenna toward your devices that use wifi.

Turn Off Eco Mode

Some routers have a power saving or eco mode that is on by default. This will slow down your signal and the actual power savings are very minimal. When checking for this, look for an Automatic transmission setting and turn it to 100%.

Today, it is essential to have a fast wifi connection. In the same way that you would protect your home with a wireless security system, protect your online information with a good password and username. To make the wifi work more efficiently in your home, use a combination of these tips. The first step is to make sure your router is working properly and then use different options to extend your signal.

Statistics show that eight hundred and fifty water main breaks are reported every day within the United States of America and not all common household insurance plans come with flood insurance. Additionally, it only takes twenty four hours for mold to begin growing after a flood has occurred, which unfortunately adds to the extreme costs of flood damage. Flood monitoring and flood alarms are a great way that you can prevent a major flood disaster from happening inside of your home.

Hawk Security provides real-time leak detection alerts with your home security system. They can send you flood alerts via text message or via phone call as soon as a flood or possible flood has been detected in your house. You can even shut off the flow of water throughout the house to prevent more damage from being done.

How Flood Alarm Monitoring Works:

Water sensors are installed near water appliances such as your hot water heater and your washing machine.

A flood alarm signal is sent to the home security alarm panel as soon as a water leak is detected in your home.

When the home security alarm panel receives the flood alarm signal, you will be contacted on your phone by call or by text message, alerting you of the situation.

Other Flood Tips:

Ensure that you have flood insurance included with your home insurance.

Regularly check and maintain your water pipes, water heater, plumbing, and home foundation.

Work on protecting the exterior of your home from water damage by sealing the perimeter of your home with waterproof materials.

Protect your home before a flood disaster occurs so that you can avoid the high costs that will surely ensue. Install a flood monitoring system from Hawk Security so you’ll know as soon as a flood occurs.